I’ve been mulling this idea for some time. I’ve talked with many female riders and they were the spark for this idea.

A little history first.

When I started riding it was on Hondas. First was a 250cc, then 600cc and then a 1300cc. I am a Nurse and used them mostly to commute. Mine you it was 30,000 miles a year. The Honda shop was 10 miles from home and it was convenient just to drop the bike off, they fix it and I pick it up. No worries.

Then I bought a 1993 BMW K1100RS and the shop for it was 3 hours ONE WAY.

Now it made more financial sense to figure out how to work on the bike vs. killing a day to get it to the shop then repeat to pick it up.

At first it was just the small stuff and I still let the shop do the deep engine work because frankly it intimidated me.

Then Steve came into my life and helped me prep for my solo 20,000 mile Alaska trip. He taught me a lot, but NOTHING could have prepared me for what happened on the trip.

It was a life changing experience.
After that, I wanted to know how to do EVERYTHING for my bike.
I had faced my fears and had succeeded.
I was no longer intimidated in fact, I was fascinated by the working of the machine I was riding.
I trusted it more and felt strangely more bonded to it.

You can “hang out with the boys” in the garage and do what men do when the women folk aren’t about. It’s totally natural and healthy to do this and I fully encourage and support activities like it.

But I don’t have one person in my life I can do this with. By that I mean another female rider. I love Steve with all my heart, but he can’t fill this need for me.

I’m not a soccer mom, and I’m never going to a Mary Kay party.

The things I love to do the most are to ride and wrench my motorcycles.

Of the women I know in my area that ride, none of them wrench their bikes and none of them ‘adventure’ ride, dirt ride, tour or even long distance ride.

I’m feeling social loneliness.
Steve hangs out with Ski and mountain bike buddies and it enriches his life.

There is a sharing that only takes place in same sex groups.

Women think differently. We talk about our relationships, children, periods, cramps, mammograms, childbirth and even sex. We tend to be more openly emotional or at least I do.

Maybe if I could find someone who shares my passions I might learn how to be more feminine.

My heart aches to have just one female friend and fellow rider to talk with while tinkering over some bike part.

The Internet does not fill this desire.

At times I despair to the point of tears.

Like now.
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The members stirred up that idea again and gave me strength to make this post.

Maybe I could start a network of women riders who would like to find other women who want the feeling of sisterhood in the garage. One of mentorship and sharing.

Generally speaking women could list something like this:

A request for help on (year, make and model of motorcycle)
What is the project at hand
Location: City, State
How to contact the poster of the request

Then others can answer the request.
They would make arrangements to meet the one asking for help and together they could work on the project.

On another level, women could list their area of knowledge, their location and resources at hand.

Some may want to offer tech days and such.

I know I’ll take some flack from some men and some women on this idea, but I feel this could be an avenue that would help some women on a level they feel comfortable with and the bottom line is this can’t hurt to give it a try.

I'll start.
Hi, I'm Gwen.
I live in Culpeper, VA.
I have a full garage, bike lift, tire changer, and a trailer to haul bikes.
I'm most versed in BMW K-bikes but with a manual and time I'm willing to help anyone do anything on any bike.
I work two jobs, so big projects will need scheduling.
Short jobs, maybe less notice.

Next...

__________________Nana korobi ya oki

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who matter don't mindand those who mind don't matter "- Dr Seuss

I wish i were more mechanically inclined..but if heart and willingness to dig in and try count, then...

I`m beth and i live in georgetown ontario ( just west of toronto)
I can do brakes and change oil on bikes, but if someone has the tools, space (I live in an apt) and a manual,i can help figure things out

My name is Pam, live in Ann Arbor, MI - my background- certified master technician, but on bicycles (high end stuff like wheel building, shock rebuilds, disk brakes, etc.,) and am considering the community college's certificate courses this coming year. My goal is to take the State motorcycle mechanics exam. I can do many things on my bike, am still learning, but game to try and fix anything (and really, I do mean ANYTHING.) I have a good friend around the block that has a full garage and had been gracious enough to show me a thing or two. He's retired, and has some major LD experience.

I think nothing of hopping on my bike and taking a long trip. I've encouraged my sister into getting her endorsement (she bought her first bike this summer, it was her 51st birthday present for herself) and my good friend (46) also just got her endorsement this summer (and a lowered g650gs).

I also have a full garage, bike lifts, tire changer, and a trailers to haul bikes.

I work on Valkyries only ! Sorry ladies...But I do have tools ..
A impact wrench and air wrench can be your friend
I have learned to enjoy these tools..

Haven't pulled a motor yet.. But have worked in all the other main areas from Clutches to rear ends and all in between...

Semiretired ....Have livestock and farm life so things happen unexpectedly..

I got into working on my own valks , when HB said if something happens to me are YOU going to keep riding ??
I said YES .. He said ,well you better start learning to work on them...
I have loved every minute of it...

I am a procrastinator, LOL good thing I have 2 bikes...
When one is down I have the other one to ride..
SO it can take months before I start my rip downs...

Right now I have one down.. It needs a lot of work...
Some of it is a bit over whelming but I will tackle it..
At least I have HB to help me ..
And a few good friends that I can call when I get stuck on a oh crap, now what!

__________________TISELife is what you make of it~If it don't fit make alterationsCheck it from time to time as I'm always adding to it..My Rides and life on the FarmJust because the road is rocky doesn't mean your spirits should get rocky, too.{Crazy Cora}

For those who are reluctant to work on your bike for whatever the reason other than you just don't want to, which I totally respect, I say this, "its just a machine and if it's known how to work on it, then it's knowable."

Also, "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance".

Meaning if you learn how to do it yourself, then you don't pay for your ignorance at shop rates.

Thank you for all your replies and support.

__________________Nana korobi ya oki

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who matter don't mindand those who mind don't matter "- Dr Seuss

First off - love this photo. That moment or THOSE TIMES before it clicks - and then you feel like a million dollars because YOU did it!!

Quote:

Next...

My name is Rayna, Woodside, NY and !!!!!Yes!!!!! this is a GREAT idea! My boyfriend, loph917, is really good about it, too, like Steve is for Gwen/Shoganai. Mind you it's all been small stuff at this point but he makes sure I go out with him to fix whatever is wrong and talks me through it. No garage just a rented parking spot for two BMWs - mine and his. I am not bad on technical stuff and give me a manual and some time and I'm in.

It is so natural, as Shoganai said, for guys to do this. Even my dad, who is not a "manly-man" by any means still fixed our cars growing up, you know? Guys are just around the tech stuff more often. My girlfriends are all "oooo, that's so coool! you have a bike!" but they don't have one so they don't "get it" per se. and forget mechanical ability. I just put my friend's IKEA furniture together because she was going to pay someone on craigslist to do it. I was like, please, give me a few beers, i'll do it!! LOL!

I am intimidated by my bike technically in that I don't know how to do anything major to it... yet. But let me in there, and I know I could do it. I think it's intimidating because most women weren't brought up hanging out in the garage so we think we can't. boo hiss. no way. Please - my dad was so happy when he realized I took all his lessons on hammering, drilling and so forth to heart. (let him off the hook! ha ha!)

D. The Sprocket - (nothing under this can be indexed by search engines or viewed by non-members)

1. Days of Our Lives –
(Sooo how’s it going?)

2. The Porch –
(The rules are relaxed here so no whining ya here)

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If anyone want to contact me about this via email, I have an address dedicated to the site wrenchingwenchesmotorcycle@gmail.com and just as I typed that I saw this...wrenchinGWENchesmotorcycle@gmail.com....that's beyond strange!

__________________Nana korobi ya oki

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who matter don't mindand those who mind don't matter "- Dr Seuss